Stacy adjusted this books meme to make it more user-friendly, but I'm far too embarrassed to put up a list of books I haven't read (or - let's be honest - ever considered reading) while at the same time showing that I don't know how to keep track of all those font color changes. I wasn't an English major (or a computer science major like Lynette) - I'm a poli sci girl. Ask me about Obama, Mitt, or Nancy Pelosi and I'll give you pages of thoughtful opinion that will amount to exactly nothing. What can I say? I used to be a lawyer; these are the skills I have.
Bold means I've read it. Deleted for space means I haven't. Comments will offer any applicable emotions or disclaimers surrounding the experience, and give me a chance to experiment with this button I hadn't noticed before on the tool bar:
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) I tend not to get too fired up about books that everyone says will topple worldwide faith. I've been to New Hampshire where the author lives, and it's just not that kind of vibe.
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) I've even read a bunch of the knock-off books that speculate about what happened after the wedding. Some are very serious, some are funny. Even in great literature, I still like the bad guys to be taken out back and plunged in a deep cold well.
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) I saw these movies - 97 hours of my life that I'll never get back.
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
I've read the first four - am hoping to get to #5 this summer.
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
I love anything by Irving that doesn't involve a dancing bear and/or a circus. Check out "The Water Method Man." Hysterical.
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
Fascinating.
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) I've reread this story for inspiration every time I've hit a rough patch in life. Hope is a good thing.
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
I read her incredibly grim memoir and decided that she and I don't approach writing from quite the same perspective. I'm not brave enough to try another.
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
Perhaps the strangest book I've ever recommended.
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
I tried to read this, but just couldn't get into it. If I was inclined to rework a piece of literature by a famous author, I'm not sure I'd pick God.
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
I LOVED these books in High School. Ayla and Jondalar were like my teen Ken and Barbie.
45. Bible
It took me five months. Leviticus is tough if you're an animal lover.
48. Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
The never-ending battle scenes made me long for the cozy prose of Leviticus...ugh.
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) In two languages, thanks to my HS French teacher.
71. Bridget Jones' Diary (Fielding)
Obviously, I loved it. We all did :)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) My old book club disliked this book so much that we couldn't even discuss it. We spent the evening talking about cute boys and new restaurants we wanted to check out.
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving) Love, love, love it.
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
My Mom read all of White's books to my sister and I. When I moved to Boston and saw the swan boats from "Trumpet of the Swan" I almost cried.
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
We were forced to read this in sixth grade. I think my teacher got some sort of award for forcing us through it. I was so lost - there were rabbits being blown out of their habitat, and some larger philosophical point I was supposed to absorb about the state of humanity. At twelve, I just wasn't that deep.
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
My Mom made me read this. Powerful stuff. Not happy, by any means, but powerful.
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
This whole thing kind of makes me wonder if I should send this to my old High School English department - maybe my parents can get a rebate on their tax dollars, as apparently, I left their school with little working knowledge of literature. I'm lucky I even learned to read... :)
10 comments:
I never read anything interesting in high school, just in college and grad school.
I felt the same way about "The Red Tent", but it's on Rory's book list, but I just can't read all of it, sorry Rory.
I'm glad you're not brave enough to read The Lovely Bones. Absolutely terrible...
I loved both The Red Tent and The Lovely Bones, though Alice Sebold's Lucky, her memoir about being raped, is even better. I find a lot of books that end up being added to my list of favorites have slow starts (not Bones, though) and I need to give them at least 50 pages before I'm lulled into the rhythm. Cold Mountain, A Sudden Country, The Road, all needed me to pay close attention at first, whereas Bridget Jones' Diary was great from the get-go. And I'm with you, anything by John Irving is on my favorites list.
Amy
Very impressive list! There are obviously some good ones I've overlooked...I don't think I've ever read anything by John Irving.
I wasn't a huge fan of The Da Vinci Code. I thought the end of The Lovely Bones was TERRIBLE! I was actually very annoyed by how it ended. So maybe you're not missing out :)
Law School Grad, not a lawyer...also in love with the Poli Sci books. We will have to swap recommendations! :)
That's interesting, what you said about Jane Eyre. I feel a similar way about that book; I don't know, there's just something about it.
It's very surprising doing a meme like this and discovering that I, a literature student, and a whole lot of other people too, don't actually have that huge a range of reading. I think I must be a re-reader. There's a whole list of books that I've read about five times each, but I always put off reading new ones.
You left off Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?
And I wondering why my pic never shows up on anyone's comments.
Why will none of you learned women read any of the Walter The Farting Dog books?! Honestly. You bunch of snobs.
Post a Comment